Tales from Earthsea
by Stine chan USA
Summary: Based on Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea: Heracles, a troubled prince living in a world of magic and bewitchment, travels with Archmage Arthur Kirkland as they search for the force behind the mysterious imbalance that threatens to destroy their world. GreeceXfem!Japan and slight EnglandXfem!America.


"Why is there a storm now of all seasons?" Mathias yelled over the wind.

The sails whipped around crazily and the crew worked hard to keep the ropes down. Everyone was soaking and the waves had already tossed one person overboard.

"Where's the Weather Worker?!" Tino yelled back, the wind whipped at his hair and somehow his cap managed to stay put.

A young man with platinum blond hair and a cloak ran across the ship frantically.

"I can't remember, I can't remember!" His eyes were wide in fear. "The spells aren't working!"

"Wh't d' you m'n Lukas?! Hve you l'st your m'nd?!" Berwald yelled at the man.

"It's-"

"Look! What in the world is that?!" Emil pointed at the storm clouds. It was lighted with flashes of red and blue light. Lukas' face paled.

"No, not here…"

"DRAGONS!" everyone rushed to one side of the boat as two battling dragons ripped at each other with claws larger than Berwald. They rushed next to the boat and bellowed, flames coming out of their mouths. A small, pale white one charged at the larger black one.

"Dragons fighting? That's impossible. Imbalance…" Lukas flipped through his spell book. "They don't belong here!"

In a split second, the white one rushed under the black one, dodging the large talons and tore its neck apart. Blood gushed out and the black one screeched and fell into the ocean, causing a wave to crash the side of the boat.

"We should warn the king…" Tino mumbled.

"…the outbreak of fever has already taken many sheep and the drought will slow down the planting for next season daze!" Yong Soo shouted and flung his fists into the air.

"Calm down," Lee said. "Let the king decide what to do." They looked at Sadiq. His Majesty rubbed his stubble and looked across the large table filled with his court officials.

"Seal off the infected area to prevent the fever from spreading. Summon Healers to find a cure." He turned to his son, Gupta.

"Gupta, why is all of this happening now?"

"I believe it is the imbalance of the world. Darkness is coming and fast…" Gupta managed to mutter.

"You're Majesty!" A few fisherman burst through the door and bowed quickly. "We have terrible news!"

"Yes, what is it?" Sadiq asked the disheveled group.

"Dragons were spotted off the coast! Two of them, battling! One killed!" Tino stuttered.

"Hm..." Sadiq got up and walked out of the room, followed by his son. They walked through the sunlit corridors and Sadiq gazed at the mural of a legend on the walls as Gupta stared straight ahead.

"Dragons… This is a huge problem for the kingdom, son."

"Hm. I sense the light dimming…" Gupta agreed. "Dragons and Human beings where once one. Those you wanted riches and wealth chose the land and became human. Those who valued freedom choose the air and became dragons."

They walked passed an archway and passed by two maids who bowed as they walked passed.

"Excuse me your Majesty…" the small blond with a ribbon said quietly.

"Shhh… Lilly you'll get in trouble." The taller brunette nudged her.

"I have to ask." Lilly replied.

"What is it?" Sadiq said.

"Prince Heracles… Have you seen him? He disappeared last night and hasn't come back yet-"

"No I haven't actually but he's seventeen. He can take care of himself." Sadiq responded.

"Oh, I see. Thank you." The two maids rushed off, probably still searching for the younger prince.

"Heracles is troubled, Father," Gupta said and walked off.

"Yes, indeed." Sadiq continued walking through the castle.

"Heracles…"

Heracles ran. He felt mad. He was confused. He was holding a large object, as tall as he was, made of dark wood with metal details. It was horizontal line through a longer vertical one, a cross. Why was he holding a cross? Not just any cross. His father's.

There was blood running down his hand. BLOOD. He stopped and grimaced. The blood dripped slowly off his fingers and landed in a small puddle on the stone floor. A stone floor? Last time he remembered, he was lying on the bench on the balcony, outside his room, overlooking the kingdom and petting his cats his father gave him and his brother gave him.

Heracles turned his head behind him and looked down the hallway he was running through and felt his eyes widen. He felt weak and scared. This wasn't right! It was a dream! Right?

His father, the king, Sadiq Adnan, lay at the end of the cold stone hall, unmoving.

What was happening? Heracles gasped and shivered in fear. The blood on his arms… was his fathers? It was everywhere. Did he kill his own father?

Heracles clutched the cross and looked around wildly. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! He ran out the maze of the castle. He couldn't control himself in a fit of anger. He flew by the servants, the maids, the pageboy, until he reached the stable. He grabbed his horse, Amaya, and climbed up her back. She looked frightened. Why?

He didn't know what to do, where he was, what he was doing now, he just kept on going past the city, the market stalls, the slaves, the inns, the meadows, the forest, and he kept on going until he was in the sand dunes.

He stopped Amaya and looked around.

"Ah!" Heracles flung his head around violently and shrunk back. No? He was wrong?

Heracles calmed himself and set Amaya into a gallop. They went further and further into the never-ending sand.

The boat stayed, positioned in the sand. Arthur Kirkland sighed with relief. He was in such strange lands. Sand everywhere so far and hulking masses of ships filled the boneyard. The disaster a while ago had washed huge ships onto the beach. As big as buildings or bigger! The wood on the ships were cracked and decaying at none of these old pirate ships seemed to be any use.

Arthur walked along the beach. It wasn't much of a beach really since the sand looked like it continued for miles. He walked into the hull of one ship and peered around. It looked very old. He stepped forward and heard a crunch. His foot lifted up and revealed bones, human bones; the floor was carpeted with them.

Then, Arthur heard a howl. He stepped outside the ship and saw a ravening wolf standing at the top of a sand dune. Interesting. He walked across the sand and over the sand dune.

"Get away!" Heracles pushed Amaya to run faster. The pack of wolves close behind him snapped at Amaya's tail and his feet and she tripped in the sand and tumbled, bucking Hercules off. As Hercules got up trembling, they circled him, completely ignoring Amaya, who was further away from the pack.

"No, back!" He swung the cross at them but the cross fell abruptly into the sand. "Why can't I wield it?!" He yelled at the cross. They snarled at him and came closer. Heracles paled and twisted violently again. They were so close to him; he could see the rotted flesh in their teeth and their infected, matted fur.

"I don't care anymore. This is the end…" Heracles shut his eyes and calmly waited for them to maul him to death. The alpha, seeing its opportunity, shot at the boy, only to be knocked clear by nothing. The pack, startled from seeing their leader taken down so easily, whined and trotted away.

"Boy!" Arthur Kirkland stepped over the sand dune and addressed Hercules. "That was a close one!"

Heracles stared wide eyed at his savior and collapsed.

Heracles woke up in the middle of the night, next to a fire. Where was his cross? He jumped out of the blankets he was wrapped in and frantically looked around.

"Is this what you're looking for lad?" The man that had saved him held up the cross. "You're a long way from home. It was forged by magic and I don't believe you can use it yet."

Heracles nodded and took it from the man then he shuddered and screamed silently and the horizon. What was that? I see it, I see it! Nothing? Heracles reassured himself that nothing was there.

"What's wrong?" the man asked him, a bit shaken from Hercules' crazy performance.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Heracles mumbled.

"What is your name?" The man asked him and handed him a piece of bread.

"Heracles." He took the bread gratefully. In the firelight, Heracles realized this man had humongous eyebrows and extremely green eyes. He was dressed like a mage: an olive green tunic, a black cloak, a few crystal-like bottles dangled from his side, and a large wooden staff with a small green crystal at the top.

"Well Heracles, I wouldn't mind a traveling companion, if you would like to tag along. For now, let's rest." The man sprinkled sand over the fire and it died down. Heracles lay in the blankets provided for him and drifted to sleep.

**Well if you've seen this movie than good for you.**

**I watched it and had a sudden urge to write a fanfic soooo...**

**Is it confusing to you? I realize the writing style is weird and not like my normal writing style at all.**

**I kept spelling 'Hercules' instead of 'Heracles'. It bothered me.**


End file.
